Means for controlling electric current.



gfofs C. R. NGLANU. MEANS FOR SONTRCLLING ELCTINC CURRENT. APPLICATION msu aww/2G, 1915.

2 SHtETSr-SIIEET l.

CRENGLHND C. R. ENGLAND.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRIC CURRENT. APPLICATION F1LEDLMAY26,19|5.

2 SHEETS-SHEEI 2.

Lwfg.

CRENGLHNU Cgi CLIFFORD R. ENGLAND, OF licKEESPORT, PENNSYLVNL.; ASSIGNOE?, OF ONE-HALE' TO ROBERT E. STONE, OF ldcKliESPwki', ENNSYLVANL..

naam-aman..

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Sept. L8,

Application filed May 26, i915. Serial No. 30,6415'.

T all whom it iliag/ concern:

Be it known that l, CLIFFORD l. ENGLAND, acitizen of the United States. residing' at Meleesl'iort, in the county oi Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Controlling Eli-@trie Current, of which the following` is a speciication, reference being had to the accompanying draw ings.

My invention relates to, means for controlling current, and particularly to means for controlling current by means oic an adjustable resistance.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of a very simple device for controlling electric current including variable resistance whichvis capable oi' being` applied and used in any situation where variable resistance is desirable, but which is pai`- ticularly adapted to be used for dimming; automobile headlights.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character including a variable resistance element and means in the nature of a switch for causing the current to flow around or througlrthe variable resistance, as may be desired.

A. further object of the invention is the provision of a very simple form of variable resistance element in which the amount of resistance may be readily adjusted.

.,Sjill another object of the invention is the provision of a variable resistance in the forni of a'feartridge or plug which may, be readily put in position or removed therefrom. i

p Still another object is the provision of a variable resistance element comprising' an exterior shell, a filling of granular or pulverulent resistant material such as graiihite, and a conducting meinber'which is aojust- ,hable to kvarious degrees into the mass etA granular. or nonconducting material, the dei gree t,o which the conducting element is ad- :justed Controlling the the element to the passage of current. f I Utlier objects will appear in the course oi tlie following description.,

l shaped spring' clips 5 and (3. These resistance offered by lily invention isnillustrated in the accomi'mnying drawings, wherein:

is a rear face ot my invention;

Fin'. 8 is a section on. the line .8--8 of Fig. 7.,

ln these drawings I have shown two -forms of my invention which vary from each other in details o construction but which operate on the saine principle. One oi these forms is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6. ln these figures 2 designates a non-conductive base which may be made ol' porcelainj hard liber, or other suitable non-conductive material, and .vliirh. in easethe device is to he used for dimming aum-mobile heiu'llifhts, is prei:` erably disposed upon thel dashboard of the vehicle. Extending transversely across the base at spared points are the metallic plates 3 and i. Disposed upon each of these nietallic plates i and are the metallic U- eli-ps are preferably `formed each with the upstanding opgjiositely disposed arms, these arins being outwardly bowed, as at 7, to receivethe eylindriral resistane. cartridge or plug which will be later described. The clip (i is the saine as the ciip 5 except that it is provided with limiting ears 5%.

Mounted upon the strip i is a ipring eontact 5l which may be held upon the base and in eleetriral Contact with the strip l by means otx a serew l0. This springT is upwardly curved and then extends upward to provide a straight Contact portion l1. Mounted upon the strip 4 in Contact with the ttaehed end oi the Contact 9 is a binding post l2 of any suitable or usual eonstruct-ion. Nimmt-ed upon the strip 3 is a .binding post 13 oi any usual or suitable forni. Passing through the base 2 and be- 'tween the chg;i 5 and the binding; post' 13 is a shaft le: which, is held from longitudinal.

VFig. G is a longitudinal section.

diagrammatic; lEig. 2 is a :tace vien' oiiposite to Fig. l; Fig. 3 is an movement with relation to the base in any suitable manner but which has rotar)7 movement in a sleeve 1th This shaftcarries upon one end the knlurled knoh 15 whereby the shaft may he rotated, and at its other end the sha'tt is provided with the metallic head 1G which, as illustrated, is clet't to receive a block 17 ot nonconducting material such as hard fiber. The upwardlyY extending portion 11 'of the spring contactlinger has electrical engagement with the head 1G, or with the blocl; 17 which extends diametricallv through the head.

llemovablv disposed within the clips 5 and (3 isa resistance element, which, as illusplied to the lights.

,l i rent' will have to pass through,

trated, comprises a shell 1S which may he` toi-med ot an;7 non-comlucting material such as iiber, this shell being closed at one end by means ol a metallic cap l5) and at its other end b v means oi a metallic cap 20. rPhe metallic cap 2l) is insulated trom the interior ot the shell b v means ot insulation 201. Disposed within the Ashell and entirely lilling itis a granular or powdered resistant material such as graphite, designated 21. Having screw threaded engagement with the end ot' the shell 20 is a screw threaded pin 22, the inner extren'uty of which `is pointed. The

outer extremit)Y is provided with the head 23 whereb)y the pin may be turned, and preterablv mounted upon the screw thr faded shank ot the pin is a binding nut 2l. ll'hen this resistanceA element is inserted in place hc,- tween the clips 5 and the arms ot the clip 5 have electrical engagement with theI metal ot the cap 2() and the arms ot the clip (i have electrical engagement with the metal .of c: p lf). the ears S holding` the shell troni movement in one direction.

The operatioirol the device as above descihed is as Yl'ollows: Assuming that the wire '25 leading lroin the source ot' current is connected to the binding post l?) and that the wire 'till leading to the lights olI an automobile 'tor instance. is connected to the binding post l2. then it the l nob l5 be rotated so that lhe non-coinlucting block 1T he brought in contact with the spring contact linger fl eurrent will pass to the binding post lil. thence to the strip l, and trom the strip to the clip 5, thence to the cap tit), thence `to screw 22',

then to the graphite filling 2l, then th thel cap lf). the clip (S, the strip 4, the binding post l). and the wire. 26. lt', however, the lenoh l5 be turned so as to bring the metallic portion ot the head 1G into contact with the contact member Sl, the current will pass trom the binding post 1S to the strip 3, thence, through the pin 1l, the head 1(3,the spring contact tinger S) directly to the hinding post 1:2., andthe current will not pass through the variable resistance element.

here the device is used, for instance, for

controlling automobile headlights, it wiil he, obvious that when the current passes directlj.'Y from the binding post 12S to the binding` post 1; `without )assing through the resistance, the full strength ot the current will ne ap- Yi'lhen, however, il'. is desired to dim the lights the knob l5 is turned as before described, s( that `the cury the variable resistance. and thus the strength oit 'the current atthe'lights will be serv greatly reduced and the lights w'll be dimmed. For the purpose of indicating the position olt the knob 15 andot the head lo, that is, to show when the variaole resistance is on or otl", l preterabl)rr provide the imlicating pointer 2T which coacts with the 'two index points '2S and 2f), one indilizating Lott and the other onfi ln Figs. T and S l show another forni of, in v .invention operating upon the saine principle hut ditl'ering in detail. 1n this construction, 2 designates the hase, which is the same as the base ineviousl'y described,l 3a and -l designate the me allie strips mounted thereon, and G designate the clips which are the saine as the clips 5 and (5 previously fclescrihed, 12 and'li designate the binding posts, and il designates the contact tinger. All ol. theseI parts are ihe same asv previously described. slifflafbljy mounted in a bushing '2S cari-ical i h:

is a pin Q9 which at onel end farries a head 30, ene-halt otl which is termed ot noncondlwtive material l1 and the other halt oli which is termed oi cor'ulncting inaterial and is designated 232. .l'ihen this pin is pushed inward to its Alull extent the non-v conducting portion 31 contacts with. the contact finger W. lYhen, however the pin pushed outward the metallic portion 32 er- Vthe lights ot an automobile, it the,

gages with the contact linger. This pin is shown as urged outward or to a sition hy means ot a spring 33 i 'hren posed between the "irnnrled lmoh fa-l; e pin and the bushing L resistan nient 35 is disposed within the clips o and this resistance elena-ntbeingn t: sti-'acted in precisely the "anic manner t as ance element preriouslv deserilazd. prises a shell, the op'positely disp and the screw threadml pin 22'" which may be adjusted into greater or less engagen'ient with the `graphite contained will in the shell, as desired, so as to vary the resistance offered by the graphite. ln this secc-ntl form ot my invention, when it desired to dim devicel iS used for this purpose, the pin i inward, bringing the con-conduct' 3:2 into contact with the contact and thus causing the current to lie e., through the, resistance element, till? through the granular lilliug ot the cartridge,

u switch mounted upon the bose which G ieri shifted into one position will short circl'ns und resistance element und l in the other direction will perpassoire oi current through the clips element.

scribe@ n ite 1' engagement with the and that 1i e n i Y r or with Suid insulating 85 fi Switch?, which9 W t i f 1 portion thereof tion7 permits me pu or controlling` current. includriding' posts mounted upon the tely disposed clips mounted upon il each electricnlli7 connected to 90 said indinlcT posts, :Lresistunceelo deuchuhly mounted upozi said clips @c ricullj: connected tliiougfgli` said clips posts, und incluis for short i ,Lunel element comprising l wing :i conductive :uid u. portion, the conduct-ive portion or member being' disposed l ec or' s id binding post-s und the corusando. resilient contiictmeiu- 10u ed to the other binding post und adopted to engugi both the conductive und non-cron( :ci comicios;

, cci iioii-coiuluctive portion of the slrtuole i @stance member. between tl7 e 5. lli-reims for controllinff electric current '105 l inclm iup; i hasea oppositely disposed nictail' i lic resilient c w mounted thereonq bindingupon the buse und electrii to saidclipsi said binding:

td to he e 'rictr'icully connected 110 l u t Vwith u sourceof i. resisten; :e element detnchzibly err- Lo by said clips und adapted to electriconnect them, ond i switch mounted ducted oe "apen the onse which when shifted into one ir all isterru 'i c e f sitioi'i will electrically connect the bindingv s and, short circuit the clips and resistcc element and when shifted in the other tion 'will cause the passage of curreiit the clips und resistiirnse element.

.s for controlling electric current j llfise/l binding posts-mounted 'l e? oppcsitely disposed metallic upon the losse find each eleci. to one of said biindine` ,ge clement detachagply supf electri c Y u1 snosed u, cart thev rivages n es., o 

